I just read the entire Jessica Biel interview in the new issue of Elle Magazine, and I’ve come away with the overwhelming desire to give Jessica a hug. Not that I like her or respect her as a person or as an actress (I don’t on both counts), but I want to give her a hug because she sounds so pathetic and I feel bad for her. She’s very open about it too, which makes me feel something for her. It’s interesting to me that Biel talks so openly about all of the projects that she auditions for (even naming the projects) and how she rarely, if ever, scores the part. It’s like Hollywood is telling her loud and clear, “You’re a supporting actress in action films, and maybe a television actress, nothing more” and she just simply REFUSES to listen. I admire her naked ambition, I guess, and I admire the fact that she’s so honest about it. But I also think she might need to listen to someone else’s advice.

On the role that got away: “The Notebook. That’s one that I wanted so badly. I was in the middle of shooting Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I auditioned with Ryan Gosling in my trailer – covered in blood. Nick Cassavetes put me through the wringer in an interesting, exciting way. But there’s a million that get away. We’re gluttons for punishment. It’s just rejection.”

On doing supporting roles in action films: “I play make-believe for a living, and this business is based on imagination and fantasy. And yet a lot of people get stuck. People don’t see the possibility and potential.”

On dressing for the role she’s auditioning for: “I’m thinking, This is a period piece. Or this person is an ex-addict in rehab. I need to walk in there and not have a great blowout and a great dress. And I’m always putting myself on tape. The people around you say, ‘This is the one that’s going to change your career!’ And then nothing happens. And you’re still doing what you’ve always done. I’m still dressing up and looking ridiculous. I just did three tapes while I was in Toronto for three different projects – and I didn’t get any of them. When there’s a great female part, there are 30 amazingly talented women gunning for it.”

On auditioning for Catwoman in the new Batman film: “Another one that got away. I was gutted. I mean, to work with Christopher Nolan in that kind of role?”

On her status with Justin Timberlake: “A girl doesn’t kiss and tell… there’s nothing that’s sacred anymore. Me not talking about my intimate personal life – there’s just a line that you have to say, I can’t go any further.”

On whether she plans to have children someday: “Sure, of course. And, yeah, I think probably at some point it would be something I’m interested in. But I don’t feel pressured. I was never one of those girls who dreamt of my wedding and my Prince Charming. To piss off my mom, I used to say, ‘I’m never having kids, and I’m going to be a fabulously rich old maid living in a house with cute butlers and dogs.’”

On the lack of powerful female roles in Hollywood: “I think lots of roles for women are just not as developed as male roles. That’s just the truth. There are some that are incredible. But there are not enough. It’s not equal.”

On whether she’s considered leaving show business: “Absolutely. I’d love to write. I wrote a lot of short stories and poetry when I was a kid. That was my creative outlet. I’ve written a short film, and I write poetry.”

On whether she’d go nude for another movie role after “Powder Blue”: “I wasn’t so scarred by that experience that I’d never do it again. If a director I trusted came to me with an amazing opportunity and it felt organic, I would do it.”

On the last time she felt terrified: “I felt terrified when I was auditioning for Les Miserables, the movie that Tom Hooper is doing. I was terrified to sing in front of him. I auditioned for Fantine, and I sang “I Dreamed a Dream.” I didn’t get it. I would have loved it.”

So, she auditioned for The Dark Knight Rises, Les Mis, The Notebook, and basically EVERYTHING else. There is not one film out in theaters right now that Jessica did not audition for. On one side, I understand the “nothing ventured, nothing gained” mentality, as well as the “if you throw enough sh-t against the wall, something will stick” theory for Biel’s career. But seriously, her agents might need to sit her down and explore some hard truths. She can be as ambitious as all get-out, but at the end of the day, the parts that Biel really wants are always going to go to more talented actresses. Maybe she should spend less time making tapes and dressing up for auditions and more time in acting classes?

So that’s two that she’s lost to Anne Hathaway (who’s allegedly snagged the Fantine role). That would start to sting — to feel like you’re considered for the same stuff, but they’d always prefer cutesy little Anne…….

Oh dear. That’s a lot of rejection for someone who’s supposedly ‘established’ and getting front covers of big magazines. She clearly doesn’t have good people around her, because even being this honest about her rejections as an actress, isn’t the smartest thing to do. Why rub in your own failures into the sub-conscious of potential employers? Her limited acting talents notwithstanding, what’s really done her in is the lapdog persona she’s assumed with her on/off relationship with JT. Nobody likes a loser, even a somewhat pretty one.

@normades – the difference is Blake is actually getting offered roles and doing some rejecting herself. Biel could use some tips from Ms. Lively actually.

What an honest interview instead the usual celeb canned responses. I don’t feel she was whining. She was very matter of fact about it. She is so beautiful and healthy looking. I saw her in a late nite interview and she was funny.

I don’t think either choice for Catwoman is good. I don’t like Anne Hathaway or Jessica Biel. I was hoping for someone like Kate Beckinsdale or -hell- even Emma Stone or Mila Kunis. But Christopher Nolan is nothing but consistent, like always his female roles contain weak women.

Agree with the posters that said she would do a better job as Catwoman than Anne Hathaway. She has far greater sex appeal and she’s one scarily athletic woman – check out her muscles in Blade: Trinity. She could slice AH in half using just one of her eyelashes!

Biel’s lucky she even gets to do all these auditions, for she seriously lacks the talent and charisma that much lesser known actresses possess. She gets the foot in the door with these auditions, but she can’t capitalize on her opportunities correctly. There’s no twenty ways to say this other than: she’s just not a good actress.

She’s been trying out for Hollywood parts since her Seventh Heaven days and ladies like Mia W., Liz Olsen, Emma Stone, Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, Carey M. & Felicity Jones, who only rose to prominence in the last year or so, have completely obscured her. There might be lesser plump parts for women overall in movies, but even then talent trumps all. I’ll save my pity for REALLY talented people who can’t even get a chance to show casting people what they’ve got!

That Biel is not talented is a misnomer.
take a look at ‘The Illusionist’. A film she is excellent in, and next to Edward Norton I might add. If anyone would show up her acting ability it is Norton.
It’s unfortunate that she auditions for so many roles she does not get. More unfortunate that she discusses it publicly.
They gave Jennifer Lopez leading roles for years and she can barely act at all.
I wish Biel the best and hope her star rises.

Biel would have been better for Catwoman than Hathaway, but only because Hathaway is pretty much the worst possible choice. I think only Halle Berry is happy with that pick because she’ll no longer be the worst Catwoman ever.

I can see how she could be delusional about this. Even fantastic actors get the door slammed in their faces before they finally land a role that makes them famous. I always hear them saying it’s a numbers game, and that if you want to be successful you have to keep trying. Jessica probably took this to heart, and she keeps trying. The issue though, is that she’s just lackluster in the talent department. That, or she just hasn’t found her niche. If she keeps trying for all kinds of random parts, she’s diluting what talent she might really have for something specific. She needs to stop trying for the sexy/romantic lead roles and consider that she might really shine as a mom or some other supporting role. It *is* possible to be so great in a supporting role that you stand out. You just have to stop looking at those roles as “not good enough.”

Agrees w/ @Shannon.. If your truly talented one can steal the movie/show as a supporting actor w/ o even trying.. Perfect example : Winona Rider was to make a HUGE comeback in Girl Inturrupted. The writer even had her in mind to play her when it went to screenplay.. Yet Angelina Jolie stole every scene and won the Oscar. It’s not the whether your the main character or a supporting character. Its talent and passion in what role you play…

Honestly, she would have been more believable as Catwoman. And she speaks truth to form regarding the constant objectifying of women in the business. I don’t think half of them really enjoy being actresses; trying hard to look young and hot, when there will always be someone else that comes along who is younger and hotter. It is a sad revolving door. It is still an industry dominated by men, for men and starring men.

On Topic: I don’t find Biel anything but honest in this interview. If she’s okay with the rejection then it doesn’t bother me if she keeps trying. She may get lucky eventually. I’ve only seen her in a couple of films so IDK how talented she is/isn’t. I do know that an industry that employs the likes of Jessica Alba should have room at the table for “non-acting” actresses (he, he)! Lastly, she is beautiful…really, gorgeous…especially when someone chooses clothing for her.

I’ve never understood the Anne Hathaway hate. She’s overtly perky but I can ignore it.
I always thought Catwoman/Selina Kyle was supposed to be meek and nondescript but then becomes Catwoman in the suit a la Batman, Superman, etc. She also disguises herself in other ways when she’s burglar-ing?
Please comic book people correct me. I’m not an expert in this.

My point is, I would rather have an actor as CW, like Anne Hathaway, who can be meek yet very well pull out the b*tch & I hope sex appeal rather than Jessica Biel who will do nothing but stand there grumble, whine and flash her boobs! I would have thought Chris Nolan must have lost his damn mind if he had cast her.

Anne’s bitch Ex. Brokeback Mountain. Wanted to cut a b*tch after that one, I really did.

Are you sure it wasn’t because she was too beautiful for the role? *Cue eyeroll.*

I don’t think Anne Hathaway’s a bad choice for catwoman at all. I don’t know why people don’t think women should ever be lent sexy roles unless they’re constantly T&A. I for one am glad Anne Hathaway got a sexier role because I think she’s super pretty, can act, and I like that they aren’t casting someone who doesn’t look or act like trash to play Catwoman.

Then again, this site really seems to extoll the virtues of not only being a skank but being proud of it.

I think her acting ‘skill’ helps her to be an excellent model. She doesn’t smoulder much-that’s what’s missing. She is beautiful without the sexy. She needs to STFU and get undersexposed (typo & it’s staying), and come back all fugly like Charlize in ‘Monster’.

OR! Better idea: nab the heroine role for the hellforsaken bad idea remake of ‘Romancing the Stone’.

Butler would be the perfect replacement for Michael Douglas. He’s totally sleazy/slimy/greasy why trust me?! But kinda cute to some.

Sex it up, change her job from romance writer (noone would believe that).

@Jackie – I agree with you, I was going to mention the Edward Norton movie too, the one about magicians. I think she is definitely more talented than that vapid Alba. Also, Biel needs to get away from Timberlake. He is a terrible actor and has no clue so living with someone who can’t face reality is not going to help you face reality. They are two peas in a pod. And she needs to get away from people who say “this is the big one”. I am sure those agents all say that but I think many of the successful actors who have worked for a number of years pick parts that sound interesting not on ones they think will give them an oscar or make their career. I think she looks great in print though.

@kimberly – Totally agree about Nicholas Sparks. I will never watch a movie or read a book of his. Ever since that infamous USAToday interview where he was comparing himself to some the literatures greats. Ugh. His books are total drivel. Never read one, but all of his movies are cheesey lifetime sounding movies. Boy meets girl one of them or someone significant is going to die. The end. So predictable and boring.

I think she is very beautiful, and I also think she has some talent. She was great in the Edward Norton film, and she got really good reveiws for the film version of the Noel Coward play “Easy Virtue”…but it was an indie that most people didn’t see. I think other women are WAY too hard on her, mostly because she is so pretty. I think her biggest problem is that she needs to be more of a “type” (fiery redhead, gritty tomboy, indie hipster, etc.)

She seems OK in this interview. At least she does not present herself as an entitled precious thing.

I think she should have got the Catwoman role. Did you see those pictures of Ann Hathaway in the cat suit? Really dreadful. I think JB could have done much better. Hathaway is overexposed and overrated.

The cover doesn’t really look like her. The pic where she is laying on that dude, her face looks like Scarlett’s. The middle pic looks like her b/c it’s so butch. She is looking for sympathy. Since no one gave a rat’s a$$ when Justin dumped her, now that she’s back in there she is smiling for the paps and now trying to be humble and a sympathic character…she’s more a pathetic lap dog than anything.

Biel was perfectly fine in that I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry movie with Adam Sandler. I didn’t think she was wooden at all. I would be happy to see her as Catwoman, too. I used to dislike her in that holy roller show, but she has managed to change my mind. Which is quite a feat.

She is indeed beautiful, and I think ppl are giving her way too hard critics. She does fine in action roles, but she is not that characteristic in character roles. But she would have done great in Batman. Also she has the body to pull a action role, unlike Zaldana.

I respect sort of her honest interview, especially the part regarding her private life. At least she is not another pathetic kardashian.

She got back together with a guy that cheats on her all the time and has no respect for the relationship i can’t feel sorry for her. She does it for the fame her career peaked in 2006 and JT is the only thing keeping her in the news.
The best thing that could happen to her is him dumping her again, girl needs a reality check and invest in some acting classes.

She pulled this in Allure years ago but with a lot more ego. “I’m too beautiful to be cast in some roles” um… glad she is coming down a peg – she’s not that beautiful – those Elle shots are seriously photoshopped – or maybe she stopped taking the ‘roids. She used to look like a man with boobs.

biel has ALWAYS annoyed the heck out of me ever since seventh heaven too, although i gained a little respect for her when she did “the rules of attraction.” i also saw her in this interesting movie that i think was called “london”… maybe that’s not the title, but the character she played was named london. she struggled in the role and ultimately couldn’t pull it off, but i kind of admire her for trying, at least. it was a good flick, though. would have been better with someone else in biel’s role. her reference to a character who’s an “ex-addict in rehab” makes me think that she also auditioned for “rachel getting married,” which makes THREE roles that went to hathaway. kind of creepy! i wonder if she’s slightly obsessed with her. oh, and is anyone else DYING to know what she means by being “put through the ringer in an interesting and exciting way” during her audition for “the notebook”? i would give ANYTHING to have been a fly on the wall for that shit show.